MADISON – In a community service project, one young woman in Madison is reaching beyond her peer group to help older women in their quest to build a better life.

Claire Amey was searching for a worthwhile venture for her community service project to earn the Gold Award, the top honor that a Girl Scout can achieve. From her many options, she focused on women in her hometown to help the Christian Women’s Job Corps.

“I am a senior in Girl Scouts and I am working towards my Gold Award project,” Claire said. “I am partnering with Christian Women’s Job Corps to help replenish their clothing closet.”

Claire organized and conducted her “New Beginnings” collection drive for women’s professional clothing, which they can wear on the job or to interview for prospective jobs. Job corps’ clients always can use ‘classic style’ apparel, jewelry, briefcases, purses, shoes, cosmetics and cash donations.

The drives were held on April 8 at Asbury United Methodist Church in Madison; Heritage United Methodist Church in Madison; First Baptist Church in Huntsville; and Terrame Spa at Midtown in Huntsville.

Claire’s parents are Ted and Jill Amey.

In 2016, the Gold Award for Girls Scouts celebrated its centennial. “Our research confirms the lifetime benefits for girls who earn the Gold Award and the impact it has on their lives,” Brittani Harris with the Girl Scout organization said in an earlier statement.

“According to ‘The Power of the Girl Scout Gold Award: Excellence in Leadership and Life,’ a report by the Girl Scout Research Institute, girls who earn the Gold Award display more positive life outcomes than” girls who are not Girl Scout alumnae, Harris said.

More than 90 percent of Girl Scouts not only attributed their success in life to Girl Scouts, but they also said that belonging to Girl Scouts has had a positive impact on their lives, Harris said. Furthermore, these young women said they could not have had access to the same experiences anywhere else.

Susan Elder works as site coordinator for the job corps. The Madison site’s address is Heritage UMC at United Methodist Church Site at 29768 Huntsville Brownsferry Road. Office hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about Christian Women’s Job Corps, call 256-886-2280 or visit cwjc.net or Facebook/ Christian Women’s Job Corps.